Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Gregory Salamo for being named a 2009 United States Professor of the Year. Dr. Salamo, distinguished professor of physics and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas in 1975. Since then he has regularly demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment to his students and area of study. He continuously works to expand interdisciplinary research and education by establishing new degree programs and courses which have provided greater educational and career opportunities for students and faculty. His research is widely published, and his hard work makes him a model of success for students as well as for fellow educators.

I commend Dr. Salamo for his passion for educating and wish him success in all future endeavors. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring an educator whose accomplishments and devotion to the University of Arkansas have not gone unnoticed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3634, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 109 Main Street in Swifton, Arkansas, as the ``George Kell Post Office.'' I want to thank my friend and colleague and the senior member of the Arkansas delegation in the House for bringing this forward, and this is very, very important and certainly very well deserved.

As has been noted, George Kell, as a professional baseball player, broadcaster, businessman, and family man from Swifton, Arkansas, made literally a household name for himself in Arkansas as one of the greatest third basemen in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1957, to be closer to his family, he retired. He then went on to become a Detroit Tigers broadcaster for nearly 40 years. In 1983, he joined the baseball greats when he was nominated for the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

During his career, George always kept Arkansas close to his heart. During his time in the majors, he bought farmland in Swifton, which he worked on in the off-seasons, and continued farming after he retired from playing baseball. Even when he was broadcasting for the Detroit Tigers, he still called Swifton home, commuting 1,000 miles from Arkansas for games.

George remained committed to his home in Arkansas and helped his community. In 1962, he bought a car dealership in Newport, Arkansas, and later became sole owner of this budding business. After hearing Dale Bumpers speak in the city during his 1970 campaign, George jumped on the campaign trail helping the little-known candidate win the Governor's race. George was then appointed to the State Highway Commission where he served for 10 years, 4 of which as chairman.

George was an Arkansan through and through and certainly a favorite son, so it couldn't be more fitting to honor him by naming the Swifton postal facility in his honor. He will be missed by family and friends.

And again, I want to thank Congressman Berry for his work in bringing this recognition forward.

Mr. Speaker, the Pelosi Health Care Bill is a bad bill disguised as health care reform. I have heard my constituents and the American people and they say they don't want this government takeover. They want the right to make their own health care choices. I agree that we need health care reform because the costs are too high. There

is nothing more frustrating as a medical professional then when my patients can't afford the prescriptions I write for them. The Majority plan will put Washington between me and my patients and this is unacceptable.

We all deserve access to quality and affordable health care. Unfortunately, a public option doesn't guarantee that we will accomplish this. This government takeover will increase taxes, take away health care choices Americans deserve to make and create more bureaucratic red tape. We don't want reforms that come with higher costs while the quality and access to health care suffers.

The cost is a staggering $1.2 trillion and to think that won't impact our national deficit and state budgets is unrealistic. The increased price for greatly expanding Medicaid will be an unfunded mandate to Arkansas taxpayers that at the bare minimum will cost $205 million and could be as high as $596 million. This is an unfunded mandate that we cannot force Arkansans to pay. Health reform should not end up costing hardworking Americans. Our citizens deserve better

Mr. Speaker, residents in Arkansas' Third District don't want a government takeover of health care. In a tele-town hall on Tuesday, I asked my constituents, are you supportive of a public option in health care reform? The overwhelming majority, 76 percent, said that they don't favor that plan.

The reality is, this 1,990 page Pelosi health care bill includes a public option. My constituents don't want to federalize their health care. Like them, I believe this bill is a prescription for big government and an expense our country can't afford.

Three weeks ago, my constituent, Andy Jacobs of Pottsville, Arkansas, sent me a letter, and he makes a great suggestion. ``Make a list of all the projects and programs the Federal Government operates and those that have seen the operating costs decrease.''

I urge my colleagues to write that list. It doesn't take long to see there are few, if any, government-run programs that are cost-effective.

Arkansas' Third Congressional District sees this bill for what it is, a tax increase.

I appreciate the gentleman from Georgia yielding to me.

I also want to thank you for your leadership on the Doctors Caucus as one of the co-Chairs. You've done an outstanding job.

I think one of the reasons that's so important, I think the reason that we had so many thousands of people up here today--and I would just echo your sentiments about the importance of that. As I looked around, I saw all of these predominantly middle-aged and seniors that had made a trip, made a tough trip in many cases from all over the country. I think it's due to the fact that we've worked very, very hard as a conference. And under your leadership as one of the co-Chairs, I think the Doctors Caucus has done a good job of trying to get accurate information as to what this bill actually does.

We did a town hall teleconference 2 days ago. And as you said, there are many people all over the country that would have loved to have been up here today, but they couldn't get up here. And we did a poll during the course of that teletown hall. We had 12 percent for, 75 percent against, 13 percent undecided. And I think if we had done that a few months ago, the numbers wouldn't have been that great.

The more the American people learn about this bill, the unintended consequences that are going to occur, the more they don't like it.

The gentleman talked earlier about somebody working in a place and was a part-time employed person. The reality is that under this bill, as you start taxing small business the way that it does for full- and part-time employees where you don't offer good enough insurance by government standards, many of those jobs are going to disappear, and this truly is a job killer.

I'm going to go ahead and yield back because I really want us to talk about our alternative versus what's being presented. I want us to talk about the fact that we're not cutting Medicare. I have got 25,000 Advantage patients in my district. Our bill does not cut them in any way. That program goes ahead and continues on. Then I also want to talk about the effect on small business, our bill cutting the insurance rates versus taxing small business in the other plan.

Yes, very much.

Let me just say that, again, one of the concerns that I have are the unintended consequences that are going to be as a result of the bill, as you are talking about now.

I had a gentleman call me, oh, a month or so ago, and he owns several fast food restaurants. Many of the people that he employs are part-time employees. They're high school kids going to school, working a little bit on the side, many, many college kids. He said that if this bill goes through and he's going to have to be responsible for providing coverage for all of those part-time employees--he provides the coverage now for the full-time employees--he simply can't do that. In this economy, that's so tough, you know. He's barely making it now. So the first thing he's going to do is start laying off those kids. So again, the unintended consequences of them not having a job, going to school and things like that, those are the things that we're going to see so much as a result of this.

I will give you another example. This bill hits community hospitals very, very hard. The only way that you can save money is to consolidate. In Arkansas, and I know in Georgia where you gentlemen are from, there are many, many community hospitals. You start consolidating. You start ratcheting back on your community hospital. That's probably the best jobs in that community, you know, well paid and all of the ancillary things that they buy and things. It is a big part of the economy. You lose your hospital. It's not too long that you lose your physicians? You lose your doctors, you lose your providers. You lose your providers, and then at that point, you really start talking about losing these small communities.

So again, there are so many things out there that this is such a huge deal. You can be for this or against it, but the reality is that it truly is a massive increase in government.

Very much so. The only other point I would make is that, from Washington, the important aspects of health care--who does what, who gets paid or whatever--are going to come out of Washington, D.C., versus from a myriad of places right now.

Well, again, our first point that it is not government- run health care, and we have alluded to that earlier. We don't federalize 16 percent of the economy. We don't cut seniors to pay for health reform.

Again, I have 25,000 Advantage members. The Advantage Program is so important to them. Also, the other Medicare cuts, you can't increase the population by 30 percent that you are going to serve, not give them any more resources. Something is going to give and the quality of care will suffer with the Pelosi plan.

It doesn't raise the deficit. Your fourth point, health care choices, not government mandates. Then, again, this is a bipartisan compromise.

The other thing I would add, I heard the discussion earlier, people from Arkansas, it just drives them crazy when they hear us talking about giving, allowing illegal immigrants to buy subsidized health care programs. I mean, that's something that they just don't understand.

I am very much opposed to that. I know that you all are very much opposed to that.

But, again, that's something that the majority of this country does not understand, why we would want to do that. Our country is struggling. We are barely--I get the phone calls, as an optometrist, a provider. I used to see people all the time that couldn't afford their health care. That's what we are trying to do to fix.

But the idea, like I say, of giving illegal immigrants subsidies such that they can buy makes no sense at all to the average American. That's one of the reasons so many people are opposed to this is things like this in the bill.

Right. Well first one, no $570 billion in Medicare cuts, which again is such a concern to seniors and why they are very much, I think, as a group, opposed to this bill, at least in the Third District of Arkansas. No 700 billion in taxes on employers and citizens. Again, small business is very, very concerned about the impact that this is going to have on their businesses.

No taxing States. The Medicaid increases, Dr. Broun alluded to that earlier. That's going to be a huge impact on our States, and the States have to either raise taxes or cut services in order to provide that service. Again, that's a real problem.

No, not at all. In fact, I think an unintended consequence that we might see that people need to look at is many of our State county employees, city employees, our teachers, I don't think that they will meet the mandate that is pushed forward in the Pelosi plan. I think that will up their costs greatly at the State level. Again, that's going to have to be taken through increased property taxes and things like that to pay that bill. So many unintended consequences.

Well, I will just say this----

Well, we have a situation where Medicare gets in big trouble and goes broke in 2017 without aid. I have many people call me, I know that you guys do too, that have moved to town, you know, that maybe their mom has moved in or something, they can't find a Medicare provider now because physicians, because we are not paying them what it takes to see some of these patients.

They are starting to either not accept new Medicare patients, or they are limiting the Medicare patients that they already see. Again, we are already seeing a form of rationing.

So to make 570 billion in cuts, with that going on, its just makes no sense at all. If anything, we need to be shoring up Medicare.

The other thing, too, is that they add significant increased population, increased patients to the thing. We already have 10 percent-plus. I think everyone agrees it's at least 10 percent in fraud and abuse.

Why increase the system? Why not take care of the problems that we have got now, shore it up so we don't have problems in 2017 before we just throw more money into it and just create even more problems?

Mr. Speaker, as a strong believer in the dignity of all human life, I have worked to defend the rights of the unborn, but the Pelosi health care bill does not protect those rights.

The newly created public option will be authorized to fund elective abortions. The Pelosi health care bill does not include the pro-life language, which was offered and rejected in committee, to prohibit the Federal funding of abortion and of plans that include abortion. As the bill is written, Federal funds will pay for elective abortions.

This goes against a longstanding rule that government insurance programs, such as Medicaid or the Federal Employees Health Benefits, cannot cover elective abortions. Health care reform should be about improving the quality of life, not about taking it.

The National Right to Life Committee has expressed its concerns with this legislation as have thousands of residents from the Third District of Arkansas.

The respect for life needs to be a core value of our Nation, and it needs to be reflected in our national policies and health care reform.

Mr. Speaker, don't be fooled by the introduction of the newest health care bill supported by Speaker Pelosi. It is no more than the same bill millions of Americans spoke against in August but reintroduced with a different name and a different number.

No matter what it is called, the disguise hasn't tricked the residents of the Third District of Arkansas. Over the weekend, I received over 200 e-mails, and the overwhelming majority of those are from my constituents who are very much in opposition to this plan.

Instead of creating taxes, entitlement programs and redtape to reform health care, we need to let families and businesses buy health insurance across State lines; allow small businesses to pool together to buy health insurance at a lower cost; and end lawsuits that contribute to the costs because of doctors being forced to practice defensive medicine.

Mr. Speaker, we can and need to do a better job for the American people. Let's create real reform, not more problems to fix down the road.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 773, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the valiant service of the United States Submarine Force during World War II.

As we approach Veterans Day, it is fitting that the House honor Americans who serve their country under the most unique of circumstances.

Earlier this year, we honored those servicemembers who participated in the D-day operations. Yet there is another group who faced incredible challenges and danger to ensure that victory would be possible for the United States and our allies during World War II, the United States Submarine Force.

Mr. Speaker, it is a special individual who will climb into a tightly confined space and willingly go deep underwater to serve the Nation. Today's nuclear submarines are a high-tech marvel, able to submerge for months at a time, cruise beneath the polarized caps, and carry strategic and tactical weapons of unbelievable power. But that was not always the case.

The first submarine used for military purposes was built in 1776 by David Bushnell. His Turtle was a one-man wooden submarine powered by hand-turned propellers and was used during the American Revolution against British warships.

During the Civil War, the use of submarines came into play again when the Union fielded the French-designed Alligator, which was the first U.S. Navy submarine to feature compressed air for air supply. The Confederacy also fielded several human-powered submarines, including the Hunley in Charleston Harbor.

Submarines saw much greater use during World War I, but it wasn't until World War II that the technological development of submarines enabled them to become a capable and feared weapons system.

During the Second World War, 314 submarines served in the United States Navy, including many built at the end of World War I. This force comprised less than 2 percent of the U.S. Navy ships, but they sank over 30 percent of Japan's navy, including eight aircraft carriers. More important, American submarines virtually strangled the Japanese economy by sinking almost 5 billion tons of shipping, over 60 percent of the Japanese merchant marine. Serving in many of the hardest fought battles of the war as part of the ``silent service,'' the submarine crews rescued unlucky carrier pilots who ended up in the sea, like the future President of the United States, George H.W. Bush.

But victory at sea did not come cheaply. The Submarine Force lost 52 boats and 3,506 men during World War II. Just a few weeks ago, I had the good fortune of meeting a number of our World War II veterans from northwest Arkansas as they left the airport to visit Washington, DC, as part of the Honor Flight program. These brave men, many of whom were just boys at the time, answered the call of duty and changed the course of history through their selfless action and love for their country.

It was also a great honor to be able to attend the decommissioning ceremony for World War II Submarine Veterans, Diamond Chapter, hosted by the USS Snook Base of the United States Submarine Veterans in Rogers, Arkansas, last month. There, I had the privilege to recognize many of Arkansas' surviving submarine veterans and thank them for their efforts firsthand.

A special thanks goes to former submariner Pete Rathmell for making the event happen.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for the opportunity to honor the ``silent service'' of World War II. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Sestak for his leadership in working with me on this legislation, and express my appreciation for the support of all the other cosponsors of the resolution.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 773.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Filner, Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and Ranking Member Buyer for bringing H.R. 1168, as amended, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, to the floor.

I introduced this bill to encourage veterans to enroll in job training programs offered by the Department of Labor that train participants for jobs in the new economy.

In 2002, Congress enacted the Jobs for Veterans Act which gave covered veterans priority access to job training programs sponsored by the Department of Labor. Unfortunately, just as in other sectors of the workforce, veterans too have been forced to join the lines of the unemployed.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data for September 2009, 990,000 veterans were out of work, for an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, the highest in decades. Of that number, nearly 600,000 were between the ages of 35 and 64, the years of prime earning power as well as peak financial obligations. These is also the group of veterans who no longer have access to any VA education or training programs. So while veterans may have priority access to training programs, the need to provide some income to the family while training is the prime goal of H.R. 1168, as amended,

To meet that goal, H.R. 1168, as amended, authorizes $100 million per year to provide a living stipend and moving assistance to veterans who have been unemployed for at least 4 months, who are not eligible for training or education under title 38, and are enrolled in a U.S. Department of Labor retraining program. The amount of the living stipend would mirror that given to post-9/11 GI Bill participants.

The moving assistance is intended to help a newly trained veteran who lives in an area of high unemployment to move to an area where there is a demand for the veteran's skills. It is my hope that H.R. 1168, as amended, will be a step towards providing veterans with new skill sets and the ability to locate where the jobs are plentiful.

I want to especially thank Ms. Herseth Sandlin for her help and leadership on this bill and just in general her leadership on our subcommittee. I also appreciate Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for bringing this bill forward to the floor.

As always, I want to thank the staff for your efforts. We don't do that enough. We really appreciate your efforts on behalf of our veterans and the tremendous job that you are doing.

I thank Mr. Stearns for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of H.R. 3949, several provisions of which originated in the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. I want to especially thank Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for her leadership in moving these provisions, as well as Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for bringing the bill to the floor.

I did have one major disappointment, and Mr. Stearns alluded to it earlier, in the effort to get the ``may'' to ``shall'' provisions, business provisions, that merely would have put disabled veteran-owned small businesses on an equal footing with 8(a) firms when competing for sole-source contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I guess that was removed at the request of the Small Business Committee. And I know Mr. Walz is concerned and the rest of the committee are all concerned about that.

Hopefully, we can all work together to reach a solution to that problem. This is something that literally we have all been working on for years, the ``mays'' to ``shalls'' and things. So, again, like I said, hopefully we can resolve that problem.

This is a very, very good bill. I think it's something that all of the committee can be very, very proud of. This is the kind of work that we want coming out of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and so I very much support it. Again, special thanks to Ms. Herseth Sandlin, Chairman Filner, and Ranking Member Buyer.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 291, a resolution recognizing the role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day.

Founded in 2006, The Tower of Hope is one of many organizations across the Nation providing and training assistance dogs to help individuals with disabilities. Assistance dogs not only provide a specific service to their handlers, but also greatly enhance their lives with a new sense of freedom and independence.

Training an assistance dog is fairly expensive. An individual dog trained for placement can cost upwards of around $25,000 in care and training costs, and training takes around 18 months to complete.

With so many veterans in need of this type of help, it is important for us to focus on this need and provide encouragement to organizations such as The Tower of Hope working toward helping these veterans. Individual citizens can check to see if there is an organization in their State providing training to assistance dogs and whether these dogs are being provided to servicemembers by checking the Assistance Dogs International North America Web site.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Hastings of Florida, for introducing this legislation and bringing to our attention the importance of these service dogs to our wounded warriors. I would also like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for moving the bill so quickly to the floor for consideration.

I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 291.

I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 866, a resolution expressing support for the designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation at times of war and conflict.

The National Veterans History Project was created by P.L. 106-380, which was signed into law by President Clinton on October 27, 2000. It is housed in the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress and contains firsthand accounts of veterans from every armed service conflict since World War I. The online database contains records of over 70,000 veterans and will continue to be a wonderful resource to inform and inspire all Americans for generations to come.

In reviewing this collection of information on veterans, you can find the stories in the collection of our only remaining American veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles. His digital collection contains both video and audio

records of his time serving as a corporal in World War I. We also have stories from the most current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan in the collection.

To have this personal record is so important to the history and nature of our country as it provides our Nation with the unique perspective of what it's like serving on the ground, a point of view often lost in the history books. Mr. Speaker, it is by preserving these stories and records that the past is shared with the future and lessons can be learned.

I highly encourage all veterans to participate in the Veterans History Project and support this resolution for the designation of National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in this nationwide collection of stories.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. Kind of Wisconsin and Mr. Wamp of Tennessee, for introducing this bipartisan legislation, and Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for moving the bill so quickly to the floor for consideration.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 866.

I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 461, a resolution honoring the Sentinels of Freedom and commending the dedication, commitment, and extraordinary work of the organization.

The bills we have passed this year will make enormous strides in helping our Nation's veterans improve their lives.

However, the Federal Government cannot do this job alone. It is through the work of organizations like the Sentinels of Freedom that our injured veterans can get back on the road to self-sufficiency.

Started by the father of three Army Rangers after one of his sons was wounded in Iraq in 2003, this 2- to 4-year life scholarship program is meant to assist veterans with severe service-related injuries who have the aptitude, attitude, and drive to become independent and successful members of society. The scholarship recipients are called ``sentinels'' in honor of their sacrifice and commitment to guarding America's freedoms. Over 32 servicemembers have joined the Sentinels of Freedom program. These sentinels are flourishing because of the help and assistance they have received from volunteers in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and fellow committee member Mr. McNerney of California for introducing this legislation to honor the work and dedication of the Sentinels of Freedom, as well as to thank the many volunteers working with this organization all across the country to help our injured servicemembers move back into society.

I would also like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for moving the bill so quickly to the floor for consideration.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 461.

Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, again, I urge the passage of this very important resolution; and I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 509, a bill to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs' medical center in Walla Walla, Washington.

S. 509 would facilitate the construction of a new outpatient clinic building, consolidating the administrative and support functions that are currently spread across Walla Walla's 88-acre campus. This new outpatient clinic building will allow for the integration of primary and specialty care as well as for mental health and ancillary services into a single state-of-the-art facility.

S. 509 has the full support of the Washington delegation. It is important to note that funding for this bill has already been appropriated. The funding must now be authorized so that we can move forward with the proposed improvements to the Walla Walla facility.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support S. 509 and the improvements it will provide to veteran's medical care, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).

I just want to thank, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Oregon for sharing with us and for showing us that this is not only bipartisan but that it is also a tri-State effort to get this done. So I think that further illustrates the importance.

I would like to thank our committee chairman, Bob Filner, and Ranking Member Steve Buyer for moving the bill forward for consideration. I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 509.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3157, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Alexandria, Minnesota, as the Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.

I also want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson) for bringing this very important legislation forward.

Master Sergeant Max J. Beilke, United States Army, served 22 years' active duty and was stationed overseas in Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. Master Sergeant Beilke was officially listed as the last U.S. combat soldier to leave Vietnam on March 29, 1973.

Following his retirement from active duty in 1974, Master Sergeant Beilke continued his commitment to U.S. servicemembers and veterans by working with Congress to pass the TRICARE For Life program for military retirees. For his services, Master Sergeant Beilke was named a TRICARE Hero and continued his efforts by working on legislation to create a veterans survivors benefit program.

It was while working on this bill at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, that Master Sergeant Beilke was killed in the terrorist attack that struck that day. For his dedicated services to the United States military and veteran populations, Master Sergeant Beilke was awarded the Defense of Freedom Medal from the Department of Defense and Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the Department of the Army, both posthumously.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 3157 in recognition of the service and sacrifice made by Master Sergeant Max Beilke for his country.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support this very important bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again I would like to thank Mr. Peterson, the gentleman from Minnesota, for bringing this forward. We very strongly support this bill. It's great that we honor a true American hero, not only for his service connection and how he served in the military, but how he led his life.

Again, we urge all of our colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave